Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2017

51-4041 Machinists

Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.

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National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
378,320	0.9 %	$21.23	$44,160	0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$12.71	$16.06	$20.48	$25.74	$30.67
Annual Wage (2)	$26,430	$33,410	$42,600	$53,540	$63,790

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Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	98,490	28.27	$20.49	$42,620
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	38,100	5.46	$21.52	$44,770
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	26,800	14.98	$21.14	$43,980
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	23,370	5.04	$20.30	$42,220
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	21,660	3.68	$20.89	$43,440

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	98,490	28.27	$20.49	$42,620
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	26,800	14.98	$21.14	$43,980
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	9,790	10.56	$22.27	$46,330
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	38,100	5.46	$21.52	$44,770
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)	23,370	5.04	$20.30	$42,220

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution	60	0.05	$41.56	$86,440
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	980	0.02	$37.25	$77,480
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	630	0.16	$33.43	$69,530
Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	(8)	(8)	$33.18	$69,010
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	1,200	1.06	$30.46	$63,350

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Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
California	34,890	2.09	0.79	$22.09	$45,940
Illinois	31,790	5.36	2.02	$19.37	$40,290
Ohio	27,710	5.16	1.94	$20.65	$42,950
Michigan	26,970	6.31	2.38	$19.95	$41,500
Texas	23,760	2.00	0.75	$21.74	$45,220

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan	26,970	6.31	2.38	$19.95	$41,500
South Carolina	12,520	6.23	2.35	$19.12	$39,780
Indiana	17,170	5.69	2.14	$20.43	$42,500
Illinois	31,790	5.36	2.02	$19.37	$40,290
Ohio	27,710	5.16	1.94	$20.65	$42,950

Top paying States for this occupation:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska	170	0.53	0.20	$31.84	$66,230
District of Columbia	140	0.20	0.08	$31.53	$65,580
Hawaii	240	0.38	0.14	$30.60	$63,650
Delaware	340	0.77	0.29	$25.49	$53,010
New Mexico	800	1.00	0.38	$25.04	$52,070

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Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division	18,160	4.96	1.87	$19.60	$40,770
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division	10,930	2.47	0.93	$20.28	$42,190
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division	9,830	7.98	3.01	$21.14	$43,960
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	9,080	3.10	1.17	$22.75	$47,320
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	8,130	4.21	1.58	$24.22	$50,370
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	6,460	16.09	6.06	$18.59	$38,680
Cleveland-Elyria, OH	6,220	6.04	2.28	$19.93	$41,450
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division	6,210	3.77	1.42	$25.63	$53,320
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division	5,360	3.32	1.25	$22.24	$46,250
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	5,200	6.17	2.33	$20.59	$42,820

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Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Rockford, IL	2,770	19.28	7.27	$19.00	$39,520
Muskegon, MI	990	16.11	6.07	$15.02	$31,240
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC	6,460	16.09	6.06	$18.59	$38,680
Sumter, SC	530	14.31	5.39	$17.48	$36,360
Jackson, MI	850	14.30	5.39	$18.56	$38,610
Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division	3,110	12.34	4.65	$16.77	$34,890
Toledo, OH	3,000	10.10	3.81	$24.43	$50,810
Fort Wayne, IN	2,000	9.36	3.53	$21.72	$45,180
Elmira, NY	320	9.22	3.47	$22.00	$45,760
Lima, OH	450	9.02	3.40	$22.80	$47,420